Let's get ethical

People power led to investments being pulled from financing Putin's war in Ukraine. It can do the same to protect the environment, says Barry Coates.

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As the saying goes, money makes the world go around. By making good money choices, we can make a better world. Two years ago, when Vladimir Putin brutally invaded Ukraine, Kiwis mobilised as part of a global movement that led to billions of dollars of investment being withdrawn from the companies that finance Russia's war.

Most Kiwis were appalled by the targeting of civilians and the suffering of the Ukrainian people. But few realised that we were more than innocent bystanders. The charity I founded, Mindful Money, tracks where our money is invested. We revealed that hundreds of KiwiSaver and other investment funds had investments in the Russian government or companies that were funding the invasion.

The total was more than $100 million. The response was amazing. Within days, thousands of Kiwis had visited our website to find out where their money was invested. Funds that were still supporting Putin's invasion were besieged by concerned investors. Within days, almost all of that $100 million had been divested.